Why the worry about China's growing military power? It is still minuscule compared with the US, which spends as much as all the other countries in the world combined. The worry over China's homemade Stealth bomber, its building of aircraft carriers and destroyers and its deployment of more submarines have become, in some quarters, emotionally charged.

Sino-US relations 'The US, in concert with our allies and partners, can create a regional infrastructure to expand those areas where our interests converge with China's, while discouraging China's activities of concern. China's improved behaviour on proliferation, increased transparency and co-operative approach to the North Korean nuclear question is welcome.'

In its recent annual report on China's military power, the US defence department said that several developments had surprised American analysts, including the pace and scope of the programme to modernise Chinese long-range nuclear forces.

Last Saturday marked 40 years since the Chinese government announced its first successful nuclear test, describing it as a major victory against US nuclear blackmail and nuclear threat. At the same time, Beijing solemnly declared that under no circumstances would China be the first to use nuclear weapons.